Spyderco Price Increase - Some Surprises

[stabman]

Not sure how minimum wage works in the USA in general, but in the UK, the minimum wage is there to protect people who are, well, in minimum wage jobs: flipping burgers etc.

I wonder how many Spyderco employees would be on minimum wage? I guess on the packing and despatch side, possibly, but even junior admin jobs here pay above minimum, as does warehousing.

Anyway, I think it is a matter for pure speculation, no? Unless you have facts to share...

And it's not like if you made more than minimum wage before, that they have to keep you ahead of it.

I worked at a place where we made a dollar more than minimum wage.
When minimum wage went up by 2 dollars, we got a raise...up to minimum wage.

 

[115Italian]

The price increases do not look as bad as everyone is making them out to be. $10-$15 is not that bad. We are talking quality products, service and warranty. People wont pay $160 for a pm2 but theyll pay $425 for an xm 18?

 

[uxo2]

Not sure how minimum wage works in the USA in general, but in the UK, the minimum wage is there to protect people who are, well, in minimum wage jobs: flipping burgers etc.

It is just speculation on my part.
But when wages go up. So do other things.

https://www.bing.com/search?q=company raises prices because of minimum wage increase&qs=n&form=QBRE&pc=U316&sp=-1&pq=undefined&sc=0-24&sk=&cvid=C46AB3D45D27413F926A934C0AB75D98

Or Spyderco is just practicing capitalism

 

[Danke42]

The price increases do not look as bad as everyone is making them out to be. $10-$15 is not that bad. We are talking quality products, service and warranty. People wont pay $160 for a pm2 but theyll pay $425 for an xm 18?

Well I think Spyderco is kind of in the position of being an "old" knife maker. Maybe not up there with Buck but what you get is the younger folks shopping and they think "my dad had a Spyderco (or a Buick, or some other established brand)" and to them that's a turn off because they're trying to build an image through social media of being the Hero and an old Spyderco like mom had in her purse won't cut it vs. a new brand X slab sided ti flipper with a crazy blade shape and rainbow coloured scales. They feel that knife with a similar or even lesser steel but with it's exclusivity is for sure worth $12000.00 while a PM2 is overpriced at $150.00.

People are weird, when you figure out what they want vs. need you get to stay in business. If you just cater to want you can blow off the charts or you can crater before you live up to the hype. It's hard to live up to the hype forever for anyone.

 

[P2P]

We should take this to the political zone of the forum. Then we could really have at it. Of coarse the foot traffic would be a lot less.

Spyderco’s Golden stuff is on point lately. They really are pioneers in the industry. This upcoming year I may only by one knife. It’ll be a Sebenza or a Para 2 more than likely. Someone earlier posted a pretty cool idea to remember. These knives will last for “years” at a minimum. Is $15-$30 really going to be a breaking point. Disperse that cost over the life of the knife, and what you will have is a joke. Laughably minuscule money.

Here’s how my mind works sometimes.
I have a Military M4 in jade. Best folder for me. Love it, and I would pay for it even if it was $200. Let’s say I beat the tar out of it and it only lasts 5 years, extremely unlikely even using it every day.

$200/5years=$40 bucks a year
/12months=$3.33 a month
/30days=11 cents a day!

Think about that next time you look at the sales tax of say a candy bar.

More than likely my knife will last me 20+ years, less than 2 pennies a day. Sign me up for another sir. Keep it up Sal, P.S. bring on some more Golden CPM-M4.

 

[Pilsner]

It is just speculation on my part.
But when wages go up. So do other things.

https://www.bing.com/search?q=company raises prices because of minimum wage increase&qs=n&form=QBRE&pc=U316&sp=-1&pq=undefined&sc=0-24&sk=&cvid=C46AB3D45D27413F926A934C0AB75D98

Or Spyderco is just practicing capitalism

I’d go along with that. In fact, if I worked for a small company like Spyderco, I’d be quite pleased if the prices were hiked if it resulted in continued secure employment, or, better still, if it was partly in order to raise wages across the board.

What many people in the West are experiencing, including me, is a combination of increased prices and static wages. I would like to think that Spyderco look after their employees.

But it isn’t really any of my business. If I want a knife and I think it’s a fair price in the current climate, I’ll buy it, providing that the company isn’t on my ‘list’ for other reasons. Spyderco are not on that eclectic ‘list’, and I don’t expect them to be added to it in the near future.

 

[jbmonkey]

I’d go along with that. In fact, if I worked for a small company like Spyderco, I’d be quite pleased if the prices were hiked if it resulted in continued secure employment, or, better still, if it was partly in order to raise wages across the board.

What many people in the West are experiencing, including me, is a combination of increased prices and static wages. I would like to think that Spyderco look after their employees.

But it isn’t really any of my business. If I want a knife and I think it’s a fair price in the current climate, I’ll buy it, providing that the company isn’t on my ‘list’ for other reasons. Spyderco are not on that eclectic ‘list’, and I don’t expect them to be added to it in the near future.

that isnt just an out west issue. its where i am also. i imagine many places in america are dealing with some of it... price increases and static wages.

 

[Pilsner]

that isnt just an out west issue. its where i am also. i imagine many places in america are dealing with some of it... price increases and static wages.

Just to be clear, I was referring generally to the western world. But it is indeed going on in most places currently.

 

[gazz98]

I'd like to think the increase on price is for the advertising budget. Maybe Sal is taking a page from Lynn Thompson and going to make some videos/commercials. Sal can stab hunks of meat hanging on a hook. Slicing that hemp rope. Throwing dem knives at watermelons. Etc, etc.